ALPENA — At their special board meeting held on Feb. 27, the Onaway Area Community School District Board of Education decided to table a vote on implementing a third-party investigation to address an anonymous letter read at a previous meeting.

The letter was read at their meeting on Feb. 11 by a member of the audience who had requested that the document be released to the public through the Freedom of Information Act.

The letter was written by a concerned staff member who was upset by the process in which staff members were asked to support former Superintendent Mindy Horn’s return.

The staff member said that a sheet of paper was passed around and staff members were asked to sign it if they were in support of Horn’s return. The staff member said that they, as well as other staff members, felt pressured to sign and were not given much time to think about it.

The staff member felt that this was an unprofessional way to ask for a signature of support and that if they did not sign the paper, it would be held against them by Horn, if she were to return, and a redacted name.

Board member Lain Veihl made a motion to table the vote until the next regular meeting when the next superintendent could give the board more information about what and who is being investigated.

“I just want some clarification,” he said at the meeting. “Are we singling out an individual? Because I will say this, there was enough going on and information spread around and heard third party, and it does concern me and I am not opposed to an investigation of the board or of the school in general.”

Board member Tom Moran agreed.

“I think that whatever investigation, if it was done fairly and impartially, let the chips fall where they may,” he said. “I didn’t think it was about any one person, but I really don’t know, and I do believe that if we have time to do it properly, we should do it properly.”

Board President Mike Hart stressed that they also need to allow the superintendent to do their job, even if that means the investigation does not happen.

“If the new superintendent comes in, researches that, and comes to us with the recommendation that this is not something necessary, then I would want to follow that as well and give him the support that he needs,” Hart said.

Veihl agreed that the future superintendent should know that the board supports them and has their back.

The board is expected to take action on the third-party fact-finding investigation at their next regular meeting on Tuesday.

Reagan Voetberg can be reached at 989-358-5683 or rvoetberg@TheAlpenaNews.com.